Preview: Xbox LIVE Games for Windows 8

Microsoft today announced that 40 Xbox LIVE games will be available for Windows 8 beginning on October 26, the day that OS launches. This massive launch lineup includes 29 games from Microsoft Studios, some which are exclusive to Windows 8, and 11 from companies such as Rovio, Miniclip, Gameloft, ZeptoLab, Glu Mobile, Halfbrick Studios, which are porting Xbox 360 games to the Metro environment in Windows 8.

The Microsoft announcement comes in the form of a blog post, First wave of Xbox games for Windows 8 unveiled, that’s notable in that it completely ignores a key question: Which of these games will also work in Windows RT? I assume all or most of them will, but Microsoft remains as cryptic as ever in its corporate communications.

In case it’s not obvious, Xbox LIVE games for Windows 8, like Xbox LIVE games for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone, and Games for Windows LIVE games for Windows, provide interaction with key Xbox LIVE services such as achievements, leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and a friends list. Unlike on the Xbox 360, you do not need an Xbox LIVE Gold account to access these features in Windows 8 (or in Windows Phone).

You can browse for Xbox LIVE games specifically through the new Xbox Games app in Windows 8, but all Windows 8 app and game downloads occur through the Windows Store app. Today, only five incomplete Xbox LIVE games are available there: Pinball FX2, Microsoft Mahjong, Microsoft Minesweeper, Microsoft Solitaire, and Wordament, and only some of these offer a few achievements. (More will come online at launch, I’m told.)